The Human Dynasty

New method would make the most of the balance between the good and bad of free radicals

What allows cancer cells to divide uncontrolled? The cellular oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are analogous to the accelerator and brake pedals in a car. If an oncogene is permanently active, similar to a stuck accelerator in a car, cells divide without restraints and a tumor develops.

Scientists have demonstrated that an enzyme called Uch37 is kept in check when it is part of a human chromatin remodeling complex, INO80. The results were published in Molecular Cell.

(Stowers Institute for Medical Research) The Stowers Institute’s Conaway Lab has demonstrated that an enzyme called Uch37 is kept in check when it is part of a human chromatin remodeling complex, INO80. The results were published in today’s issue of Molecular Cell.

What will be the lasting impression made by mankind – 100 million years hence? “From the perspective of 100 million years in the future –- a geologist’s view -– the reign of humans on Earth would seem very short: we would almost certainly have died out long before then. What footprint will we leave in the rocks? What would have become of our great cities, our roads and tunnels, our cars, our plastic cups in the far distant future? What fossils would we leave behind?

What if nature’s most elaborate creations ‘just happened’? is intrigued by a new twist to evolution (full text available to subscribers)

[From the BBC]
 When the smell of roses had been wafted under the noses of slumbering volunteers they reported experiencing pleasant emotions in their dreams.

Inovio Biomedical Corporation (AMEX:INO), a leader in enabling the development of DNA vaccines using electroporation-based DNA delivery, announced today it has received a contract for $933,000 from the Department of Defense (US Army) to continue research and development of DNA-based vaccines delivered via its proprietary electroporation system. The contract, titled “Design and Engineering of the Elgen Gene Delivery System for Screening and Validation of Vaccine Candidates of Military Relevance,” will run through May 2010. This project is focused on identifying DNA vaccine candidates with the potential to provide rapid, robust immunity to protect against bio-warfare and bioterror attacks. (PRWeb Sep 23, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/inovio/vaccine/prweb1373954.htm

Cells lining blood vessels may perform an unsuspected task — controlling the development of fat cells. Researchers found that precursor or stem cells have a markedly reduced tendency to develop into fat cells when placed in direct contact with healthy endothelial cells, which are the cells that line blood vessels.

MIT researchers have shown that cells from different people don’t all react the same way when exposed to the same DNA-damaging agent — a finding that could help clinicians predict how patients will respond to chemotherapy.